Sunday, November 22, 2015

Wow this week was absolutely full of miracles and exciting things I am just not really sure where to begin. So this week we have had the opportunity to be interviewed by some masters students doing a report and a project on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we just came into contact with them on the street. This week we were able to have a couple of members in the stake with us that are preparing themselves to go on missions but are just some of the YSA join in on some of their questions. We also had another with just Äldste Brown and I and the interesting thing is that it doesnt matter in what context we testify of eternal truth the spirit always accompanies it. I love to be able to testify of the things that I know and the experiences that I have had to help other people. They also came to Stake Conference where we had about 1000 members there in a big conference center in the middle of Göteborg and they reorganized a stake presidency so they are really in the right place at the right time!

Picture outside of stake conference

I also had the opportunity to go on splits with Äldste Sahlin who is one of the assistants in the mission and is actually from Göteborg so it was super cool to have him with me and it felt good for him to be back in his city (but a different ward so he didnt run into anyone he knew haha). While we were on splits we went to a man who had referred himself to the church and who probably knew more about mormon culture and theology than I do. He has been studying it a lot and is actually almost done with the Book of Mormon so it will be really interesting to teach him. When it comes to anyone the only thing that we can teach them is how to feel the spirit and to know that something is true and to me it doesnt matter how much information someone has but they need the spirit to testify to them personally otherwise it doesnt mean anything.

We were also in the beautiful city of Borås to do some workovers with Äldste Stoeltzing there. It was super good and we got to do a lot of service and talk to some recently returned missionaries and see if we cant get that ward excited about missionary work through those two.

The weekend was pretty hectic we had President and Syster Beckstrand come down for the stake conference and President went and interviewed Lennart who is now cleared and ready for baptism on this Saturday!! We are super excited for him to take this step and be a part of everything that we have been talking about for so long. In 3rd Nephi 19:9 The people asked for the thing that the desired most and that was the gift of the Holy Ghost. We take it for granted so much what that gift means to us but it makes such an amazing difference in someones life and it always feels good to be able to help them on their way to recieving and keeping that gift. It will also be Äldste Browns last sunday that Lennart is confirmed so it will be an amazing experience for everyone... Stay tuned for pictures.

I just wanted to say that in seeing the reorganization of a stake presidency it is interesting to see these brethren who are called to these positions and imagining how inadequate they must feel to be standing in front of all of the members of the church in the surrounding area and knowing that it will be their responsibility to help and serve them. I know that the Lord qualifies the people that he calls. We are never going to be perfect or even fit the call that we are called to but I do know that the Lord magnifies the things that we do and as long as we are willing and do everything that we can to fill the shoes that have been given us that he will take care of the rest that we just cant do or think that we cant do. That doesnt even just apply to church callings but what we do with our friends and family and how we can affect the people around us. Trust Him that He knows what He is doing and I promise that it will work out.
I love this gospel and I am so grateful to be in Sweden to be able to share it with all of these people here. It means everything to me!!

Ha det Gött!!
Äldste Israelsen

P.S. Hope everyone took the Book of Mormon challenge to read it in three months!! I know that I have grown because of it and have learned so much!!